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Liberals Embrace Civil Liberties More than ConservativesSupport for, Not Opposition to, Gun Control May Be a Civil Liberty

PHOENIX — American citizens who identify themselves as liberals are far more likely than conservatives to embrace freedom and civil liberties, according to an analysis of national poll data.

"Liberals are far more tolerant of protestors and nonmainstream ideas and the people who hold and teach such ideas," said Dr. David Demers, executive director of the American Center for Civil Liberties. "Although some conservative groups contend they embrace civil liberties more than liberal groups, the data show that among American citizens in general, liberals are about 39 percent more likely to embrace civil liberties." ...

The only index in which conservatives appeared to score higher in terms of civil liberties involved questions about gun control. But Demers said this may be misleading, as fewer restrictions on owning and buying guns may actually mean less, not more, support for civil liberties.

"Support for the Second Amendment and for fewer controls on gun ownership traditionally has been interpreted as a civil liberty," Demers said. "But gun rights measures correlate negatively with other measures of civil liberties, meaning that people who support gun control also are more likely to support civil liberties. ...